Process of volatilizing materials



Dec. 18, 1934f l. H. DERBY PROCESS OF VOLATIL IZING MATERIALS Filed Sept. 25, 1950 Patented Dec. 18,

PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF VOLATILIZING IATIRIALS In 11. Derby, Peter C.

lndianapolialniafignorto Beilly,1ndianapolis,

Ind,

Application September :5, 1m, Sq'ial its. 4,434 (oi. see-1s) This invention pertains to an improved process of treating various :materials having present components adapted, at least "in part, to volatilize therefrom on heating. The invention, while applicable in a generic sense to the treatment of various materials, is especially adapted to the distillation of coaltar or coal tar pitch with a view of producing a superior coke and the recovery of distillates that are driven off. Furtheradheres more or less strongly to the metal surface so that distilling from a solid surface there is no ready means of bringing about a translation of any solid which may be formed. Conse- 5 quently a distillation conducted in a common totary retort would not make possible the discharge of theresultant solid as a continuous operation.

' products may readily move, free of adhesion.

The essential feature of the present process therefore resides in the utilization of a liquid liner for the retort which constitutes the treat-1 ment or distilling surface of the retort. Such liner presents a surface over which the material to be treated or distilled as well as the resultant One form of apparatus-wherein the process 'maybecarriedoutisillustratedintheannexed drawing wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a still and accessory elements;

Figure 2 an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of the discharge end of the still or retort; and

Figure 3 a transverse vertical sectional view takenonthelineIJI-lllofl'lgure2.

In the drawing, 1 denotes a mute which at one end is enlarged producing a chamber 2 in which latter the discharge means for the coke or other residue is located. Such means will be later described in detail. 7 hocatedwithinthemuille 1 isaretort 3-maintained at one end upon a'hollow trunnion 4.

moimtedinasuitablebearing 5. Attheopposite end the still is enlarged being formed with annular lateral projecting elements 6 and 7 which are connectedtogether by transversely extend- .placed.

ing spaced elements 8. These latter, at the ends opposite the still 3, merge into a head .or casting 9 from which extends a hollow trunnion 10 mounted in a.bearing 11.

AswillbeseenuponreferencetoFigure 1, the trunnion 10 extends through the wall of the enlarged portion of the muille. Secured to this trunnion is a sprocket wheel about which passes a chain 12, motion being imparted to the chain by an electric-motor as 13 or any other source of power.

Extending inwardly from the hollow trunnion 10 through the discharge head of the retort is a pipe 14, said pipe extending inwardly to the retort and provided at its inner end with a funnel-shaped mouth-piece 15 designed to facilitate the entrance of the-evolved gases and dis-' tillates which are evolved within the retort.

The opening in the tnmnion 10 extends laterally and'discharges into a fixed box or chamberv 16 whichintumisconnectedbya pipe l'ltoa condensing coil 18 which discharges into a receptacle as 19.

The opening in the hollow trunnion 4 also ex-'. tends laterally and opens into a box or chamber 20 from which extends a pipe 21 connected to a feed chamber or receptacle 22in which the material, such for instance as coal tar, may .pe A valve 23 is located in the pipe 211th regulate the inflow of material to the retort. A pipe 2! is connected into the pipe 21 and is in communication with a chamber or receptacle 25 in which the material which is to form the fluent liner for the retort is'placed. A valve 26 controls the flow of such material from the recep- Fig. 1, tmdsto w of the insbrso.

111 m betweenthem,

the grooves ormores peciiicauy diminishtheareaofsolid'surface material whichisdesi'gnated m the drawover which the coke must pass and thus reduce the frictional resistance to the passage of coke into the discharge head of the retort. The lip,

however, might be extended inwardly and the fingers omitted.

As will be seen, the members 6 and '1 take the form of spaced annular flanges which extend outwardly from the connecting bars 8 and head 9, thus providing an annular channel outwardly of the bars through which the coke may be discharged, permitting it to pass downwardly into a valved pipe or discharge receptacle 31.

Located within the enlarged portion 2 of the muiile and held stationary therein is a ringshaped member 32 having an opening 33 which aligns with valved pipe 31. Said member 32 has formed upon its inner face and adjacent each edge thereof, channels denoted respectively by 34 and 35 into which the annular members 6 and '7 extend.

The sustaining body 30 of hot fluent material will not wet the surface of the rotary still and within the still it will tend, due to the surface tension action, to form a layer slightly higher than the edge of the member 28, as indicated in the drawing. The outward passage of the layer 30 is relatively slight and consequently the replenishing of the same is periodic, although the discharge of the treated material which passes over the molten surface may be continuous. The treated material is pushed along over'the liquid surface which offers little or no resistance by the incoming material which builds up to a greater or less extent back of the solidifying residue.

Various materials may be utilized to form the molten supporting bed, tin and lead being especially applicable. These two substances may be replaced by non-metallic materials which might equally well serve the purpose. Zinc chloride,

melting at 365 C. and boiling at 730 0.; stan-- nous chloride, melting at 247 C. and boiling at 625 C.; and selenium, melting point 200 C., boiling point 690 C., will be found eflicient.

So too mercury may be employed when dealing with aqueous solutions in general, and. for example I mention sodium sulphateand sodium carbonate solutions. The other materials above mentioned could, of course. be employed as the supporting bed.

Fusible alloys, such as Woods metal. which melts around F., may likewise be employed. A low melting liquid of high density would be an advantage from the operative standpoint for carrying on evaporative processes which involve aqueous solutions with boiling points around 212 F.

Whatever substance is employed to hold the material undergoing treatment from contactin the inner wall of the retort and to transmit heat from such wall to the material 'is maintained against the wall through centrifugal action as the retort is rotated.

The material undergoing treatment will, of course, gradually pass over the meniscus surface of the bed and gradually pass out of the open end of the retort. The fluent material 30, due to centrifugal action, hugs the wall of the retort and gradually passes over in small quantities into an annular channel or groove 36 formed in the member 6. The fluent material in this groove, due to centrifugal action, is distributed throughout the entire length of the groove and flows therefrom through a plurality of pipes 3'! carried by the member 6. The pipes 37, at their inner ends,

open into the bottom of the groove 36 and at their opposite ends discharge into a channel 34. The pipes are so formed and positioned with reference to the other parts as to allow the groove 36 to become substantially full of liquid which will then be automatically drawn ofl through the pipes by reason of centrifugal action. This prevents the overflow of any of the sealing liquid from passing into the solid discharge ofi-take of the still.

By reason of the fact that the channels 34 and 35 are kept substantially full a seal joint is formed by the fluent material and the members 6 and 7 of the retort.

Draw oil pipes 39 and 40 open respectively into the'upper part of the lower sections of the channels, said pipes leading to an overflow reservoir 41 which will preferably be heated and from which the excess material will be removed from time to time.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the method will be clearly understood. As is evident the main object of the process is to maintain a layer of molten heat transmitting material upon the inner face of the retort by centrifugal action and to feed the material to be treated to the exposed meniscus surface of such layer. The method is particularly applicable to the treatment of coal tar and coal tar pitch (as well as coal) with a view of producing high grade coke with the recovery of volatiles.

The molten bed supports and carries the tar or pitch which is transformed into coke and passes from the end of the retort into the discharge chamber. Foaming is reduced to a minimum due to centrifugal action, hence the coke produced is dense.

As above noted, materials other than coal tar or coal tar pitch may be utilized as material to be treated.

The term distilling as employed herein is not used in its strict sense in-that the gases which may be driven oil are not necessarily condensed.

The term "non-gaseous material as used in some of the claims\ includes liquid, plastic and solid substances, but excludes the treatment of materials substantially entirely in the gaseous state. It is of course obvious that liquid, plastic and solid materials may contain some gaseous components either in an absorbed or adsorbed state, and therefore the term "non-gaseous material" is to be construed as covering liquid, plastic or solid materials containing absorbed or adsorbed gases.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of treating non-gaseous material having present components adapted to volatilize therefrom on heating comprising maintaining by centrifugal force against the inner outlet end of the retort.

2. The method of continuously treating nongaseous material having present components adapted to volatilize therefrom on heating comprising maintaining by centrifugal force against end of the retort,maintaining the temperature of the liquid body layer within such a range as will cause at least a portion of the components of the material to volatilize, and discharging the so-treated material from the outlet end of the retort.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein coal tar is the material treated.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, where in coal tar pitch is the material treated.

5. The method of treating heavy hydrocarbon material having present components adapted to volatilize therefrom on heating comprising feeding said material to the inner surface of a heated liquid material maintained as a bed within a rotary retort by centrifugal action imparted to the liquid material by rotation of the retort, the liquid layer being of -a higher specific gravity than said hydrocarbon material and substantially inert and non-reactive with respect thereto, maintaining the temperature of the retort in said liquid layer within such a range as to cause at least a portion of the volatile components of the hydrocarbon to volatilize, and discharging the sotreated hydrocarbon material from the retort.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein coal tar is the material treated.

'7. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein coal tar pitch is the material treated.

8. The method of treating hydrocarbon material having present components adapted to volatilize therefrom on heating whilekeeping the material out of contact with the wall of the treatment-vessel, comprising maintaining in the latter'by centrifugal force a heated body layer in a liquid state which is of a higher specific gravity than said mrdrocarbon material and substantially inert and non-reactive with respect thereto, feeding said hydrocarbon material over. and along the inner surface of said heated body layer, and

maintaining the temperature of the treatmentvessel and the body layer within such a range as will cause at least a portion of the components of the hydrocarbon material to volatilize.

9. The method of producing coke from coal tar'while keeping the latter out of contact with the wall of the treatment-vessel, comprising maintaining in the latter by centrifugal force a heatedbody layer in a liquid state which is of a higher specific gravity than said coal tar and substantially inert and non-reactive with respect thereto, feeding the coal tar over and along the heated body layer, and maintainingthe temperature of the treatment-vessel of the body layer within such a range as will cause at least a portion of the components of the coal tar to volatilize with theresultant productionof a coal tar coke.

10. The method of producing coke from coal tar pitch while keeping the latter out of contact with the wall of the treatment-vessel comprising maintaining in the latter by centrifugal force a heated body layer in a liquid state which is of a higher specific gravity than the coal tar pitch and substantially inert and non-reactive with respect thereto, feeding the coal tar pitch over and along the inner surface of said heated body layer and maintaining the temperature ofthe treatment-vessel and the body layer within such a range as will cause at least a portion ofthe components of the coal tar pitch to volatilize with the resultant production of coke.

IRA H. DERBY. 

